


a mess of a story I'm ashamed to tell

by Kroolea



Series: Modern Cobb Vanth/Din Djarin AU [10]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cobb Vanth is the best boyfriend, Din Djarin Needs a Hug, Hurt Din Djarin, M/M, Non-Consensual Touching, Panic Attacks, Past Abuse, Xi'an is an asshole, mentions of domestic abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 00:40:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28554792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kroolea/pseuds/Kroolea
Summary: Cobb nods slowly. "Mmkay. You'd tell me if something was wrong, right?"He doesn't like the time it takes for Din to answer."Yes."---Someone from Din's past comes back to haunt him.
Relationships: Din Djarin/Cobb Vanth, Past Xi'an/Din Djarin
Series: Modern Cobb Vanth/Din Djarin AU [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2059278
Comments: 9
Kudos: 165





	a mess of a story I'm ashamed to tell

**Author's Note:**

> TRIGGER WARNING!!  
> Xi'an was abusive and took advantage of Din in multiple ways. This comes up in this story multiple times
> 
> !!!IF THIS TRIGGERS YOU PLEASE DON'T READ IT, IT ISN'T THAT IMPORTANT IN THIS STORYLINE!!!!!

Cobb has been told he's an observant person. Maybe that's why he studied engineering in college, maybe that's why he liked working on his father's farm.

Anyways, he sees things most people wouldn't notice.

He sees how Din flinches when Cobb moves his hand around too quickly near his face. He hears Din have nightmares on a weekly basis. He feels Din tense up when Cobb mentions being starving when in fact, he's just hungry.

So, naturally he subtly changes his actions. He tries not to wave his hand around near Din's face, he learns to fall back asleep when awoken in the middle of the night, he says he's hungry instead of starving.

He doesn't know what happened to Din in the past. He knows a little, that the foster system wasn't good, that Din hadn't had a wonderful childhood.

Something is bothering Din.

Cobb watches his boyfriend closely as Din tucks Grogu into bed and reads him a bedtime story.

He can't tell what's wrong. Din hasn't said anything, but he's been forgetful in the last few weeks and he's been hyperfocused on work.

"He's asleep." Din murmurs, kissing Cobb's cheek as he goes to take a shower.

A few minutes later Din crawls into bed, hair still damp from the shower.

"Is something wrong?" Cobb asks as he wraps his arms around Din. Din shakes his head.

"No. Just tired."

Cobb doesn't quite believe the excuse but he trusts Din so he leaves the topic alone. If Din doesn't want to talk about it, Cobb won't force it out of him.

\---

Grogu and Cobb are home alone when _she_ knocks on the door. The woman is dressed in a tight purple dress, her blonde hair done in two braids.

"Does Din Djarin live here?"

Cobb frowns, looking her over. He doesn't recognize her but she might be a friend of Din's. "Yes. He's not home right now."

Something flashes in her eyes. She grins. "How do you know Din?" She asks curiously, Grogu makes a noise of protest at just being abandoned for the stranger at the door. Cobb picks him up and sets him on his hip.

"We're dating."

She frowns, looking irritated. But before Cobb can fully analyze her expression she shakes her head and smiles. "Ah, alright. It's good to see him settling down. Is this Gregorio." She shakes Grogu's hand.

Grogu frowns and pulls his hand away. "No t'ank you." He says. The woman chuckles.

"Such manners. How old are you?" She asks the toddler.

Grogu hesitantly holds up two fingers.

"Aww. You're a cute little thing." She coos. She directs her attention back to Cobb, who feels completely confused. "I went to high school with Din. I've been out of the country for a few years. I thought I'd stop by and say hello, I'll just call him though." She laughs. "It was nice meeting you."

She leaves almost as quickly as she arrived.

Grogu tugs him back to the living room to play and Cobb forgets the strange woman.

\---

Cobb wakes up in the middle of the night to an empty bed. He blinks sleep from his eyes as he sits up. He can hear faint footsteps from the hall.

He open the door, almost hitting Din in the face. Din yelps, back hitting the wall.

"Are you alright?" Cobb asks, Din looks a bit like a startled animal. "Din?"

Din takes in a deep breath. "Yeah?"

"You alright?"

Din blinks a few times before nodding. "Uh-huh. Couldn't sleep."

"Bad dream?" Cobb guesses, Din nods again.

"Wanna talk about it?" Cobb gently leads Din back to bed.

"Not really. It was just about my parents."

Cobb nods slowly. "Mmkay. You'd tell me if something was wrong, right?"

He doesn't like the time it takes for Din to answer.

"Yes."

\---

Over the next week Din seems to relax. He seems to sleep well and even stops overworking himself. Cobb even convinces him to take a Friday evening off to spend time with him. Cobb inwardly berates himself for doubting his boyfriend.

A knock on the door interrupts their laughter. Din sets Grogu down and goes to answer the door.

Cobb doesn't think much about until a solid five minutes pass and Din doesn't come back.

He tells Grogu he'll be right back and presses his ear to the front door.

"Xi'an, you're not supposed to be here."

"Oh, baby. You don't really want me gone, do you? You were always confused about what you like."

"Xi-"

"C'mon, Din. You know he'll never make you happy like I did."

Cobb takes that as his cue to open the door. Din looks like a deer in headlights as he tries to push the girl who had showed up the week prior, Xi'an apparently, off him.

"Leave him alone." Cobb says, he narrows his eyes.

Cobb isn't a therapist but he recognizes a panic attack when he sees one. Din's breathing is shallow and he's paler than Cobb as ever seen him look.

"If it isn't the boyfriend," she beams, running a manicured finger down Din's chest. Din shudders and Cobb fixes Xi'an with his most murderous glare. "You can join us, if you're into that."

If Din's face is any indication, he hadn't agreed to anything.

"Get your hands off of him." Cobb says coldly. "I will call the police."

She laughs, the sound is cruel and merciless. "I've been the jail, sweetie. I'm not afraid to go back. Maybe this time I'll drag this hottie with me. Did you tell him about that summer we were together?" 

Her face is so close to Din's that Cobb thinks she's going to kiss him. "Did you?!" She demands.

Din closes his eyes and shakes his head.

"Answer me, whore." She stomps on his foot. Din lets out a cry and Cobb seperates the two of them. He towers over Xi'an but he's pretty sure she's stronger than him.

"N-no. I didn't." Din looks terrified. Cobb feels a wave of rage wash over him and he gently leads Din inside before Xi-an can say anything else.

"Stay inside." Cobb says. "I'll deal with her."

Din doesn't give him a response but he allows himself to be led inside.

"Get off my property." Cobb snarls the moment the door shuts. He's no longer putting up a facade for Din's sake.

She scratches his arm and hisses. Cobb rolls his eyes.

"Leave."

"Has he told you about the time he cheated on me? How I made him regret it?"

"If you come back here again or talk to him again, I will make sure they never find your body." Cobb is exaggerating, of course, but Xi'an doesn't need to know that.

"He'll leave you. He always leaves." She screeches.

Cobb grabs her shoulder and leads her to her car. She pales and slams her door shut, locking the doors as she speeds away.

Cobb stands at the end of the driveway for a long second, making sure she leaves. He runs inside to find the bathroom door locked. Grogu is playing by himself so Cobb doesn't worry too much about him.

"Din?" Cobb wiggles the door. There's no answer so Cobb tries again. "Din, darling. Please open the door."

No response.

Cobb doesn't want to have to unlock the door. He doesn't want to invade Din's privacy like that. "I'm opening the door, Din. But it's just me."

He grabs the key and opens the door slowly. Din is sitting on the floor in front of the bathtub, his face buried in his knees.

Cobb lets out a sigh of relief and crouches near Din. "I'm here. It's just me. Can I touch you?"

Din quickly shakes his head as a sob escapes his mouth.

"Alrighty. That's okay. I'm gonna sit right in front of you." Cobb twists his fingers anxiously. "I love you a lot, Din Djarin. There's nothing you could do to make me love you any less. You are an amazing father to Grogu and an amazing boyfriend."

Din sniffles. "'m a coward." He mumbles.

"Look at me, Din."

Din lifts his head, barely meeting Cobb's eyes.

"You are so brave, darling." Cobb's eyes fill with tears at Din's dejected expression. "I don't care what Xi'an told you. You are the bravest and least selfish person I know. So many people love you."

Din takes a shuddering breath. "She beat me. Told me I'd never be remembered for anything but a worthless foster kid. Only got out 'cause she was arrested." Din says glumly.

"But you got out. So many people love you. Winta views you like a second father, Omera makes sure you have time for yourself, Cara loves making you laugh. You are the most important person to me, who knows where I'd be." Cobb's eyes fill with tears. "You have an adorable little boy who looks at you like you hung the stars and moon." He voice cracks at the end. He wipes his eyes halfheartedly.

Din throws himself at Cobb, hugging him. "I love you, I love you so much."

"I love you too." Cobb wipes the tear tracks off Din's face. "Wash your face off and I'll get that little guy into pajamas. Let's cuddle on the couch and read too many bedtime stories." He suggests. Din nods.

That night when Grogu is asleep and Din is sitting with a hot drink, Cobb finally decides to approach the topic they both have actively been ignoring.

"So, she was an ex?" Cobb's voice is calm. Din nods, clearing his throat.

"We dated a while ago. Like, six years ago?" He shakes his head. "She was super abusive, she was arrested for selling drugs."

"Ah." Cobb leans against Din. "I threatened to kill her if she came back."

Din laughs. "You did not."

"I did. I told her, 'come back and I'll make sure they never find your body'."

Din snorts. "Terrifying. Would you know how to hide a body?"

"Nope. Cara probably does though." He jokes. After a moment he frowns. "But seriously, if she tries to make contact again, I swear I'll call the police."

Din nods. "Thank you."

"I do have a question, why didn't you tell me?" Cobb says this lightly, he makes it clear that Din doesn't have to answer.

Din takes a very deep breath, releasing it. "Didn't wanna scare you off. My past is messy and complicated."

"You know you could never do that." Cobb smoothes Din's hair back. "You're stuck with me."

Din sniffles. "I know. It's still there though. That you'll leave." He taps his head. Cobb nods, he understands to a degree how Din feels.

"I know it is." Cobb gently kisses Din's forehead. "But I'm here and I love you."

That night, Din sleeps soundly the whole night long.

**Author's Note:**

> This installation is pretty heavy so the next story should be happy? (Maybe a proposal?!?!?!)


End file.
